Grocery Triatholon...

Now I know why I have turned down two recent requests to join friends on either a marathon or a half-marathon. All this time I have been in training for a triatholon and this morning I completed it with my Barbie toting, pj wearing, chocolate doughnut eating team... aka Kyn & Ky.

Three hours forty-five minutes later and a lot of blood, sweat and tears we have Race Car Cart Cycled our way through Safeway... heads held high, smiles on our faces, feeling pretty good... Sprinted through Albertsons... starting to breathe heavy, legs burning, getting antsy for the finish line... and finally the worst and final leg BARELY keeping our heads above water in the swim through Walmart... a lot of switch backs due to the crazy remodel, trouble concentrating, heads hanging low, weren't sure we were going to make it.

But, make it we did and I am cozied down for a day of HGTV and the girls are ready for a day of Barbies and Roly Poly (potatoe bug) ranching. I did just get a report that "Big Guy" Roly Poly may be ready to see the light. Time for another funeral and burial. I will console the mourners and put away the 20+ bags of groceries during comercials.

Wag More, Bark Less...

This has always been one of my favorite bumper stickers. I saw it three times at the beach this weekend. It was Tony's annual "Reach the Beach" ride for the American Lung Association. It was a good trip for the most part. The friends were great, the beach was great, I'm told the ride was great, the shopping was great, and the taffy was great. The rough parts resembled many we have been having lately. Melt down city or what we have officially decided is rooted in being too busy or overscheduled. We have tried everything in our bag of tricks to wag more and bark less, but we finally realized we needed to restructure. We are slicing and dicing our schedule to bits. No more this and that every night. Our little sweeties just need to "play". No more rushing around everyday. I know my anxiety level is being absorbed by their precious hearts and I can't take it anymore. I have never liked to be busy. There is no sense of accomplishment for me in maintaining a juggling act. I did a lot of googling today and came across exerts from the book The Overscheduled Child - Hyperparenting and I quickly ordered it... paying way too much to have it on my doorstep tomorrow. When I read the blips on why we may overschedule like: wanting to give your kids all the enrichment you never had I should have handcuffed myself and locked the key to mommy timeout. I have told myself this a million times. I was more so struck by the list of ill effects and noted that my sweet Kyndra is suffering greatly from all of them. I'll let you know how the book is and how we do with scaling back. We informed the kids of the cutbacks today and all was well. I am beginning to take some deep sighs, but there is a ways to go for the total exhale.

Things that make the Nelson Family Wag

Playing outside

Reading books

Creating works of art at the kitchen table

Throwing rocks in McKay Creek

Family bike rides

Gardening

Movie nights

Visiting Friends

There are many more, but these are on the top of our wag list for the near future.

Oh, and I will get caught up on reading blogs!!!